Like A Magic Carpet Ride
by rightxhere
Summary: A Dramione Christmas fanfic. Includes much in the way of fluff, and a teensy bit of angst.


**Title: **Like A Magic Carpet Ride**  
>Author: <strong>Demelza**  
>Disclaimer: <strong>Without Prejudice. I don't own Hermione or Draco, nor do I own anything to do with the Harry Potter franchise in any way. The books and movies, and their characters, are the property of JK Rowling. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission.  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Hermione/Draco  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>None  
><strong>Summary:<strong>A Dramione Christmas fanfic. Includes much in the way of fluff, and a teensy bit of angst.  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> For my very dear friend Meg, have a great Christmas!

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"No. No, that absolutely will not do, Draco!" Hermione protested before him, wearing her thick winter coat, her hands resting on her hips.

Standing before her with a wry smirk on his lips, Draco felt the soft cool breeze against his bare hands and face. "Come on, Hermione," he insisted, holding his broomstick in hand. "It'll be fun."

There was a flicker of anger in her eyes, and a look as if to say she was daring him to push her on the matter. "Don't be so sure of that, _Draco._"

His name on her lips, and in _that _tone, made his breath catch. He cleared his throat and his cheeks burned like they had done a good many times ever since they'd, quite without meaning to, begun to spend time together in the recent weeks. He'd reluctantly asked her for help with a potion he was having trouble getting right, and from there they'd just sort of, well, they'd fell into this pattern of spending an hour or two together most evenings.

They'd study, talk about the most recent potions and spells they'd learned. They'd even play board games. Boring human ones, Draco would tell her, but secretly he quite enjoyed doing something that was so very different from what he'd grown up with.

That's why he wanted tonight to be different.

"Isn't it you who said you wanted us to do something outdoors for once?" he asked her, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.

"I meant a walk. Not—not you and me riding on that _broomstick_!" Hermione protested further. "I won't and I refuse to go on it, and if you think anything you say will convince me otherwise Draco Malfoy, _you're wrong_."

Draco couldn't help but chuckle. It wasn't menacing in nature, but heartfelt amusement. After everything he knew Hermione had seen and done with Harry and Ron, she was still terrified of flying on a broomstick.

His eyes not leaving hers, he took in a breath and stepped towards her, moving the broomstick from his left hand into his right. "Fine."

Her shoulders sagged in relief, and she promptly smiled. "Thank you, Draco."

Draco's footsteps didn't stop however, at least not until he was standing right in front of Hermione and his closeness to her caused her breath to catch.

"Dr—Draco?" she gasped, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to kiss you," he said then, almost matter-of-factly. He lifted his hand and brushed away some of the curly locks resting on her cheek.

"You're... what?" Hermione asked, her words suddenly faint.

His lips curved with a slight smile. "I'm going to kiss you," he repeated, a little slower. He closed the gap between them, uncertainly. "Unless you'd rather I didn't?"

"No I—I believe I'd quite like it if you did, to be honest."

Another smile tugged the corner of his mouth, and Draco began to lean in. "Hermione...?" he asked softly.

Hermione's gaze dropped to his lips as he spoke, and her eyebrows rose just a fraction in curiosity. "Mmm?"

Wordlessly, he cupped her cheek momentarily before lowering his hand to her hip and he closing the gap between them. The move made Hermione lightly bite her lower lip, and that's when Draco leaned in and captured her mouth with his. He could taste peppermint on her lips, and he knew she'd snuck another candy cane off her dorm room tree. It made him smile, and Hermione broke the kiss, draping both her arms around his neck contentedly.

They both smiled at one another, Draco's gaze falling to Hermione's lips before he captured her mouth with his again. She deepened the kiss, much to his delight, and it continued until they both needed air.

"Would you let me show you something beautiful, Hermione?" Draco asked.

Her mouth opened and her lips moved, but she couldn't get the word she wanted to say out. Instead, she simply nodded.

Carefully, he held his arm around her waist. "You'll want to hold me close," he said, and his voice was so soft and sweet, that she did exactly that. He felt another smile curl his lips, and he stepped her backwards two steps.

There was a surprised and somewhat terrified look on her face as he maneuvered the broomstick underneath them both. "I won't let you fall," Draco promised, and he knew he was asking a lot of her, considering their mutual distrust in the past, but she surprised him and held him closer as he had told her to do, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I trust you," Hermione murmured, causing his breath to catch.

Seconds passed, and soon they're levitating.

There's a soft whooshing noise, and Hermione holds onto him even tighter than she already was. He could feel her every breath against her neck, and it made him smile.

He took them high enough to get a good view of the area around them, without being too high to freak Hermione out, but he knew was a little late for that. She was trembling against him, and there was a part of him that said it wasn't just heights that terrified her, but perhaps also fear inside that she'd mislaid her trust in him.

The thought made Draco's chest ache, and he held Hermione tighter.

They moved through the air all across the grounds of Hogwarts. They came across the lake where Harry had come up against the Dementors, and a small voice in the back of Draco's mind wondered why Hermione hadn't used a spell – and he knew she probably knew one – that would dispel her fear of heights.

Seeing the moon reflecting on the half frozen water, Draco nodded towards it. "Hermione, look."

"No. I can't," she said, clutching him tighter.

"I thought you said you trust me?"

"I did. I... I do. But we're up so high, Draco."

He leaned his hand against hers, whispering, "I'll not let anything happen to you, I promise."

There was a light rush of cool wind and Hermione gripped hold of Draco stronger than she had before, and she began to tremble. "I've got you, Hermione," he said and it was though those few words were enough for her to open her eyes and gingerly look down at the water below, and then the area around them.

There were trees and hills as far as they could see, and the way she eased her grip on him told Draco that Hermione was finally beginning to see that it really wasn't that bad up here.

"It's... it's so beautiful," she managed after a moment.

"It's like a magic carpet ride, isn't it?"

He glanced at Hermione, caught the small smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. She laughed gently, shaking her head.

"If you start singing 'It's A Whole New World' I'll turn _you _into a magic carpet," she warned, and Draco just smiled.

They circled back towards Hogwarts after a while, the view coming back to the school being all the more impressive than where they'd just headed. When they finally make their way back, they can see the large Christmas tree erected out front of the school, and the moving lights – students carrying candles – moving around it.

"Oh," Hermione whispered, "I almost forgot about the caroling tonight."

"We can go down there," Draco offered.

"No," she said without a beat, "There's somewhere else I'd much rather be."

His brow creased. "Oh, and where's that?"

Moving her left arm, and touching his face, Hermione caressed Draco's cheek. "Here with you."

He smiled affectionately back at her, "Me too," he said, and they both leaned in again, sharing a tender kiss.


End file.
